Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guangzhou (Canton) and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton): $924 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Guangzhou (Canton)
Learn more

Guangzhou (Canton) Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
Learn more

Melbourne Living Index

Jump to prices

Guangzhou (Canton)

🇨🇳 China

$924

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guangzhou (Canton) and in Melbourne

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guangzhou (Canton) and in Melbourne actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $924 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $2,852 in Melbourne, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $924
Melbourne $2,852

A couple spends around $1,438 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $4,297 in Melbourne, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $1,438
Melbourne $4,297

A family of three spends $1,953 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) vs $5,742 in Melbourne, rent included.

Guangzhou (Canton) $1,953
Melbourne $5,742

Guangzhou (Canton) is about 68% cheaper than Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Guangzhou (Canton) sits 31% below the global median, while Melbourne is 113% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 ¥20.21

$17.75 A$25.40

-82.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.67 ¥198

$84.8 A$121

-65.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 ¥35.53

$12.16 A$17.40

-56.25%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ¥19.83

$3.93 A$5.62

-24.43%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ¥3.89

$3.14 A$4.49

-81.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ¥2.49

$2.43 A$3.47

-84.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ¥7.79

$9.90 A$14.17

-88.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ¥18.41

$8.29 A$11.86

-66.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 ¥12.75

$1.55 A$2.21

23.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$3.01 A$4.31

-39.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.30

$2.88 A$4.12

-62.15%

Eggs

$1.52 ¥10.14

$5.44 A$7.79

-72.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.76 ¥112

$10.59 A$15.16

58.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 ¥33.07

$9.61 A$13.76

-48.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.20 ¥81.5

$14.99 A$21.46

-18.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥15.04

$4.15 A$5.94

-45.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ¥8.19

$3.05 A$4.37

-59.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 ¥9.82

$3.30 A$4.72

-55.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 ¥11.89

$4.76 A$6.81

-62.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 ¥6.86

$3.04 A$4.34

-66.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ¥7.84

$2.55 A$3.65

-54.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 ¥5.56

$2.48 A$3.55

-66.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 ¥4.33

$1.63 A$2.33

-60.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 ¥25.93

$44.07 A$63.1

-91.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.85 ¥72.5

$12.43 A$17.79

-12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ¥7.05

$5.33 A$7.63

-80.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ¥12.61

$5.16 A$7.38

-63.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 ¥3.11

$3.84 A$5.50

-87.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.21 ¥148

$142 A$203

-84.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 ¥12.23

$4.40 A$6.29

-58.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ¥2.69

$1.40 A$2.01

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 ¥46.90

$29.83 A$42.69

-76.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ¥8.75

$1.46 A$2.09

-10.27%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.2K ¥128.2K

$28.1K A$40.3K

-31.82%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$17.6K ¥117.5K

$25.9K A$37.1K

-32.21%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$60.0 ¥401

$233 A$333

-74.19%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$16.00 ¥107

$27.28 A$39.04

-41.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.46 ¥96.6

$57.0 A$81.6

-74.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 ¥460

$52.7 A$75.4

30.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.04 ¥80.4

$22.62 A$32.37

-46.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.57 ¥43.94

$17.10 A$24.48

-61.58%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,471 ¥9,831

$2,373 A$3,397

-38.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K ¥161.5K

$30.5K A$43.6K

-20.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.75 ¥326

$78.2 A$112

-37.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 ¥278

$50.5 A$72.2

-17.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 ¥545

$121 A$172

-32.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.4 ¥471

$133 A$191

-47.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$542 ¥3,623

$1,713 A$2,451

-68.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$276 ¥1,842

$1,402 A$2,006

-80.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 ¥8,974

$3,339 A$4,778

-59.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 ¥3,157

$2,529 A$3,619

-81.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,553 ¥57.2K

$7,018 A$10.0K

21.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,459 ¥23.1K

$6,767 A$9,685

-48.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,265 ¥8,452

$4,228 A$6,051

-70.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

5.9

-42.37%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Guangzhou (Canton): October 4, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Guangzhou (Canton)

$276 30.1%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 409% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Guangzhou (Canton)

$240 26.2%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 60.4% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Guangzhou (Canton)

$109 11.9%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 57.9% $63

Eating Out

Guangzhou (Canton)

$91 9.9%

Melbourne

$314 11% 245% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guangzhou (Canton)

$90 9.9%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 250% $226

Sport & Entertainment

Guangzhou (Canton)

$82 9%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 5.9% $4.9

Getting Around

Guangzhou (Canton)

$28 3.1%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 503% $140

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $542 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 234% higher in Melbourne, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Guangzhou (Canton) versus $85.0 in Melbourne. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $240 vs $385 – making Guangzhou (Canton) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Guangzhou (Canton)

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

16:09 4:09 PM

3 h ahead of Guangzhou (Canton)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,043,500

5,031,195

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 6.68 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.5 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Guangzhou (Canton) Melbourne 7,540 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Guangzhou (Canton)
Melbourne

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Guangzhou (Canton) vs Melbourne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $924 in Guangzhou (Canton), $2,852 in Melbourne – roughly 209% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,385 per month in Guangzhou (Canton) and $4,277 in Melbourne. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guangzhou (Canton), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $924 in Guangzhou (Canton) and $2,852 in Melbourne. That's a gap of about 209%.

Public transport costs about 537% less in Guangzhou (Canton). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Guangzhou (Canton), where all-in costs run around $924, than in Melbourne at $2,852. In Guangzhou (Canton) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Melbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guangzhou (Canton) – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Guangzhou (Canton). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Melbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.